Drinking more fluids could cut men’s bladder cancer risk

Drinking plenty of fluids may help men to protect against bladder cancer, a new study has suggested.

The study did not determine why increased fluid intake might be protective, but Jiachen Zhou, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at Brown University, hypothesized that the fluids may flush out potential carcinogens before they have the opportunity to cause tissue damage that could lead to bladder cancer.

The researchers evaluated the association between fluid intake and bladder cancer among 47,909 male participants in the prospective Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) during a 22-year period.

They found that high total fluid intake (more than 2,531 millilitres per day) was associated with a 24 percent reduced risk for bladder cancer among men.

Detailed analyses revealed the association was stronger among younger men.

The researchers also observed that the men drank fewer liquids, particularly water, as they aged.

The study was presented at the 10th AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, held Oct. 22-25, 2011.